2
Background
2.1
The CFA training college at Fiskville
Fiskville is located between Ballarat and Melbourne, near the town of Ballan, and was the principal Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighter training centre from 1972 to 2015, providing training to thousands of Victorian firefighters. Designed to deliver a coordinated, statewide approach to training CFA staff and volunteers, it was also used by the former Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB), government departments and agencies, and private companies. Fiskville was unique in Victoria and formed an iconic part of the state’s firefighting history. It provided realistic training scenarios reflecting what firefighters encounter in actual emergencies. Training involved flammable liquid and gas training props, combustible fuels, recirculated water and firefighting foams. In response to concerns raised by some CFA staff members, in late 2011 the media published a series of articles on Fiskville’s occupational health and safety (OHS) practices and possible links between chemicals present in firefighting foams and training water used at the site and the development of cancers and other diseases (refer to Text Box 1 for more information). In March 2015 the CFA Board announced its decision to close Fiskville due to its inability to guarantee the safety of the site.
2.2
Inquiry into the CFA Training College at Fiskville
Concerns about the safety of Fiskville led the Victorian Government to refer an inquiry to the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee of Parliament (the parliamentary committee) in December 2014. The inquiry investigated the history of pollution, contamination and unsafe activities at Fiskville, including the health impacts on employees, residents and visitors. These issues became a major focus of the inquiry, along with the role played by CFA’s executive management in events there. The inquiry also assessed the feasibility of the site’s decontamination and considered ways to mitigate ongoing harm and provide justice to victims and their families. In May 2016 the parliamentary committee tabled the inquiry report in Parliament. 3 The report delivered 125 findings and made 31 recommendations covering themes including the contamination and remediation of Fiskville, CFA’s organisational culture and approach to health and safety, the regulation of Fiskville by WorkSafe and other regulatory agencies, and the consequences to human health and justice for Fiskville’s victims. The inquiry concluded that poor safety practices – including the use of donated fuels, recirculated water and firefighting foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – had contaminated Fiskville and were likely to have harmed people’s health. Furthermore, the transport and storage of hazardous materials had likely frequently contravened legislative requirements and industry standards.
3
Available at parliament.vic.gov.au/enrrdc/article/2526.
